Collapsible tube



` M. L. BYRNE COLLAPSIBLE TUBE Filed July 5l 1924 June 2, 1925.

Jlietenled deine 2? @25D L HERNE, @E SYRACSE, NEW YRKZ CGLLAP'SBLE TUBE,

Application lea July 3L 19%. Seriel No. 729,302.

To all wwm 77mg Concern: y

Be it known that l, MARTIN L. BYRNE, a citizen of the United States, residing et Syracuse, in tbe county' of @n.ondega end State of New Yorks lieve invented certain new end useful improvements in Collapsible Tubes, of which the following is a specification.,

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible tubes, of tbe type commonly employed for tooth-paste$ sliavingrreem, ointments9 liopiid-glue and the like, and has for its primary object to eliminate the usual threaded necks and screw-caps of tbe older tubes, and* in lieu thereof to provide a container of tbe class7 `that opens for the dispensing of the contents, by 'the operator squeezing; the .body of the container, and wherein the discharge openings are closed automatically when tiie ii'essure on the body is relaxed., A. further o ject is to provide e collapsible tube whose discharge end comprises a relatively normally open neck, which is formed with dispensin@` slot and also with means whereby closire may be retained further is to provide a novel cop for olosin e said cap bovine -sli pcd rie retaincircumwith e seid ca e neck and r from the,

towerflf body o "v ge of inatically. object 'el tension ic closing oi the lier ect :is well as tlier copa for prev lease lie cap 'ir i. neclr l sttein. tbese o ts bv tbe ineens set forth in the detailed description which Alollows7 and as illustrated by tbe accompanying drawing, in wireli- Fignre l is a top end view of the tube. Fig. 2 is e broken side elevation? showing the cap in closed positionu Fig. 3 is e horizontal section9 taken on line 3--3 of ll. Fig. l is e broken side elev'ction and partiel central vertical section, tlie latter being teken on line fie-4: of FigiW 5., Fig. is o top end view showing the tension strop shifted, es when the accidentel restopping.

the cap is locked in tbe closed position. liio"e 6 is a broken side elevation and central vertical section, the letter being taken on line 6 6 of Fig., l, showing` tbe cap extended for eiecting the discharge of the contents of the tube. Fig., 7 is respectively a cent-rel vertical section and a side elevation of the cap,

the section being taken on line 7 of the ele-l vetion. Fig. 8 is a broken sideelevation of the tube with the cap removed. And Fig. 9 is a partial elevation and partial central vertical section, showing modified tension means for closing the cap .lln the drawing7 2 represents the relatively thin pliable cylindrical shell or body of the tube., 2- is the reduced tubular necliyiwhich is joined to the body by a tapering portion 2, lWhen the tube is constructed7 both ends are normally open. and tbe paste or cream is usually oppl-ied et tlie bottoni end7 'after which tlie said end is closed and sealed in a welldniown manner, 'llie neel; 2" is closed before tl'ie iilling of tbe body by a hollow cap, wliicl'i comprises enter and inner=` hollow concentric 'tubular members 3 3@ which ere arrenpfd to slidebly telescope tbe neclr 2 end tb ci? the csp preferebly formed with a central shallow depression shown if, 37 fi., SL The open,

end of enter member i preferably beveled5 et 3&5 to coiiorin to fit tbe tapering portion 227 shown is Figs. 29 4e and The inner ircnber :c else inter f at The e ci tbe portions nd 3b sro i latively sing/fit in. older to oli. resistence to tbe movement of' cor oi? tbe tube towe1 t e ne-cir when tbe tube is com. press Alie neck 2 i. with a cirffm l slot 2b, L -speiising tbe poste or crew 5 and tbe rnemb rs 3--3 of tbe cap provi 7xed with similar qmld, which register with. eecb otb, r. 'lie slots of tbe cop and neclvz ere preferably disposed in dif Jierent planes when tbe cop in. tbe closed position9 for preventing die escape of the v contents olf the tube by leolraglje, es shown in lFigs. Il snd 9. But when the cop is extend ed, es shown in Fig., e, due to the disp-lacement of the contents by the forcible c01- lepsing ci the body 29 tbe several slots 2b, 3c and 3d are brought into registry, and e ribbon-like discharge of the contents is effected, es sliown by tbe erro-w in Fig. 6. rllie Cep is lie-ld in piece and is allowed suflicient longitudinel movement on tbe neck 2 to eiiect the dispensing of the paste, by means of two diametrically opposed pins or gudgeons 4-4, which are permanently set in the walls of the neck 2', as best seen in Fig. 3. These pins project outwardly and engage and play in similar' L-shaped slots 4-4b, which are formed in the corresponding walls of the outer member 3 of the cap, as will be understood by consulting Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 7. 'The pins 4--4 arepreferably disposed near the base of the neck, and when the cap is in the closed position (see'Figs. 2

and 4), the said-pins are positioned at the top of the vertical arms of the slots 43-45, in readiness to traverse either the vertical or horizontal arms of said slots, owing to whether the cap is extended, as shown in Fig. 6, or rotated clockwise, as shown in Figs. 4 'and 5, for disposing the pins in the dead-end of the horizontal arms of the slots, which eii'ects the locking of the cap against accidental movement longitudinally. This locking' feature has the advantage of preventing loss or waste of the contents of the container ldue to rough handling between' the dispensing periods. v The pins 4*-4 are preferably provided with annular grooves 4 (see Figs. 3 and 8), for attaching the ends of a tension strap 5, which extends from the pins upwardly and across the top of the cap, as best seen in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, and in order to prevent undue straining of the said strap when the cap is rotated to the extent allowed by the slots 4a-4b, the top of the cap beyond the recess ac is provided with similar radial grooves 5-5, which receive and hold the medial portion of the tension strap in the'proper position relatively-to the pins, as

shownin Figs. 1 and 5. Ordinarily, before the cap is rotated in either direction, the o erator grasps the strap 5 where it crosses t e depression :1f: and lifts and holds it clear of the rooves ,5L-5", while he rotates the cap, an then lets the strap settle into the adjacent groove that aligns with the pins 4 4. The strap 5, which preferably consistsof spring wire is formed with similar tension coils 5c which are ositioned near its opposite ends.A The vertical arms of the slots 41-4b are provided at their lower ends with flexible lugs 4, for preventing accidental release of the ca from the neck 2. When the cap is made, t ese lugs are usually bent outwardly for facilitating the free entrance of the pins 4-4, after which the lugs are bent towards each other for partiallyclosing the slots, as, shown in Figs. y1, 4 and 7? In Fig. 9 I have shown a slight modification, which consists of inserting a rod G 7 diametrically through-the base of the neck of the tube, and then providing a single coil spring 7 having, a plain portion 7', which passes through an opening in the head of the cap, the free* end of said portionafterwards beingfrmed into a loop or head 7", which is disposed in the shallow recess m of the cap. The opposite end of the tension member 7 is formed into a hook 7c which grips the rod 6. The spring 7 tends to pull the cap downwardly and holds it resiliently in the closed position, the same as the strap 5. The modification has the advantage of disposing the tensionA means .within the neck and cap, and requires less' vmaterial and labor for its construction and assembling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, isy 1. A lcollapsible tube having a normally open neck, said neck having a discharge slot in one side, a cap for closing said neck, said cap comprising concentric cylindrical members 'which' are spaced to receive therebetween the said neck, the said members having discharge slots in the corresponding sides adapted to register with the slot of' the neck when the cap is extended, and means for automatically restoring the cap to the closed position for stopping the discharge through said slots.

2. A collapsible tube having a normally open neck, said neck having a discharge slot and gudgeons below said slot, a cap for closing said neck, said cap comprising concentric tubular members which are spaced to receive the neck therebetween, one of said members having openings to receive said gudgeons and said members havin similar circumferential discharge slots a apted to register with the slot of the neck when the cap is extended by the displacement of the contents of the tube, and means for automatically returning the cap to the closed position.

3. A collapsible tube having a normally 'open neck, said neck having a circumferent1a1 discharge opening, a cap for closing the neck comprising `concentric tubular members adapted to telescopically receive the neck therebetween, said members having similar discharge openings opposite each other, the said openings being non-communicating when the cap is in the closed position, said cap adapted to be extended y pressure exerted onthe body of the tube for bringing the discharge openings of the neck and cap into registry radially, and means for automatically returning the cap to closed osition when pressure on the body is relaxed). y

4. A collapsible tube having a normally open neck, said neck havingv a lateral discharge opening and having gudgeons below said opening, a cap for closing said neck, said cap comprising concentric' tubular members which are spaced to-,ieceive therebetween the said neck, one member of said cap having L-shaped slots for receiving said gudgeons, said members having lateral discharge openings adapted to regllO ister with the opening in the neck when the cap is extended b the displacement of the contents of the-tu e, and tension means engaging said gudgeons and the said cap for automatically moving the cap towards the closed position for stoppin charge of the contents of the tu e through said openings.

5. A pliable tube havmg a ,normally open neck, said neck having a laterally disposed slot for the discharge of the contents of the tube when the tube is squeezed, and having outwardly projecting radial pins, a cap for closing the neck, said cap comprising concentric tubular members which are spaced to slidably receive the neck, said members having corresponding lateral discharge slots adapted to register with the discharge slot of the neck when the cap is moved away from the body of the tube by the displacement of the contents, means for .automatically moving the cap towards the body for stoppin the discharge through said slots when t e pressure on the tube the disisrelaxed, and means for locking the cap' against accidental longitudinal movement.

6. A collapsible tube for tooth-paste and the like comprising a pliable body and a normally open tubular neck, the latter having a discharge slot in one side, a telescoping cap for closing the openend of the neck, said'cap having similar discharge slots arranged opposite each other adapted to register with the slot in the-neck when the cap is moved longitudinally away from said body, said cap having L-shaped slots near its open end, radial pins carried by the neck and engaging said L-shaped slots for permitting the extension and also-the partial rotation of the cap on the neck, means for preventingl accidental release of the cap, `and tension means for moving the cap towards the body of the tube for moving the discharge slots of the *v cap out of registry with the discharge slot of the neck.

, In testimony whereofll atix my signature.

l MARTIN L. BYRNE.V 

